arrange
Americanverb (used with object)
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to place in proper, desired, or convenient order; adjust properly.
to arrange books on a shelf.
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to come to an agreement or understanding regarding.
The two sides arranged the sale of the property.
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to prepare or plan.
to arrange the details of a meeting.
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Music. to adapt (a composition) for a particular style of performance by voices or instruments.
verb (used without object)
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to make plans or preparations.
They arranged for a conference on Wednesday.
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to make a settlement; come to an agreement.
to arrange with the coal company for regular deliveries.
verb
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(tr) to put into a proper, systematic, or decorative order
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(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to arrive at an agreement or understanding about; settle
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to make plans or preparations in advance (for something)
we arranged for her to be met
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(tr) to adapt (a musical composition) for performance in a different way, esp on different instruments
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(tr) to adapt (a play, etc) for broadcasting
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to come to an agreement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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arrangernoun
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overarrangeverb
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rearrangeverb
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arrangeableadjective
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rearrangeableadjective
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unarrangedadjective
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well-arrangedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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arrangesimple
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arrangessimple
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have arrangedperfect
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has arrangedperfect
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am arrangingprogressive
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are arrangingprogressive
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is arrangingprogressive
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have been arrangingperfect progressive
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has been arrangingperfect progressive
Past
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arrangedsimple
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had arrangedperfect
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was arrangingprogressive
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were arrangingprogressive
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had been arrangingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of arrange
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English arayngen, from Middle French arangier; equivalent to a- 5 + range
Explanation
Think it might be fun to be a party planner? These highly organized people arrange everything from invitations to music, food, even the lighting in the room, meaning they put everything in order. At a concert, you look in your program to see what piece is next. There's a title, followed by the composer's name. Under that is another name, preceded by "arranged by." What does that mean? Every piece was originally written with a certain instrument or instruments in mind. In order for that music to be played by other instruments, it first has to be adapted, meaning someone has to arrange it. A symphony for kazoos? You can arrange that.
Vocabulary lists containing arrange
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Cut one sheet of puff pastry into four rectangles and arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
"One approach is to set the building back from the street and... to arrange greenery so that, at eye level, its presence doesn't feel so overwhelming," Jouzuka told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Otherwise, the two nations have tacitly agreed not to arrange friendly matches against each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A debt-load problem means your balances are so large relative to your monthly income that the gap can’t be closed — no matter how you arrange your budget or spending.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Whoever he was and wherever his home, he could rest assured that they would arrange to send him there in one of their ships.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
She arranges four painted notebook covers together on her lap, forming a collage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
"Enforced returns", which includes deportations, means the government arranges transport to return people to a different country.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
From there, a cook either proceeds with furious off-the-cuff improvisation or arranges their mise en place and serenely moves through each step as instructed or based on their knowledge.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
If a person arranges an installment plan, Bandebo noted that’s not reflected as a delinquent payment.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 25, 2026
“He selects the art and negotiates the purchases. He even arranges their placement on the walls.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Her GP arranged a mammogram and within two weeks Lynette was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Others are neatly arranged in her butler’s pantry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The council said it had arranged the independent beach risk assessment, which had advised improving signs about water safety.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Here, lightly edited for space and clarity, are a selection of those comments, arranged by the decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
She jumped up and lugged another armful of reference books to the table, which she then arranged in size order.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
In 1871, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created the first periodic table by arranging elements according to increasing atomic numbers and intentionally left empty spaces for elements he believed had yet to be found.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
To promote it, the company is enlisting more than 200 creators, from professional influencers to niche fans of pottery, crafts or flower arranging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
David and Ally chose a local agency that specialised in arranging adoptions of Indonesian babies.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
So she took solace in doing the little things, like arranging the locker room chairs beforegames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
But the most basic way that music is organized is by arranging the actual sound waves themselves so that the sounds are interesting and pleasant and go well together.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
